YALSA opens registration, mini-grant applications for Teen Read Week™

Contact:

Stephanie Kuenn

2011 theme is Picture It @ your library®

CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), launched its Teen Read Week 2011 website at www.ala.org/teenread on April 14 (Support Teen Literature Day). In addition to free registration, visitors to the Teen Read Week website can find activity ideas relating to this year’s theme, planning resources, publicity tools and applications for Teen Read Week Mini Grants. The first 300 registrants will receive a free copy of "The Odyssey" by Gareth Hinds, who created the artwork for this year’s Teen Read Week theme.

Teen Read Week will be celebrated Oct. 16-22, with a theme of Picture It @ your library, which encourages teens to read graphic novels and other illustrated materials, seek out creative books or imagine the world through literature, just for the fun of it.

Through funding from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, YALSA will offer Teen Read Week Mini Grants, which award 10 mini grants of $1,000 to librarians to offer programs, services or events for Teen Read Week.

Members of Team Teen Read Week are ALA Graphics, Dollar General Literacy Foundation and Candlewick Press. Nonprofit supporting organizations include AdLit.org, the American Association of School Administrators, American Booksellers Association, Cable in the Classroom, International Reading Association, Kidsnet, Kids Care, Los Angeles Young Adult Authors, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Education Association, National School Boards Association, readergirlz, SmartGirl.org, Speak Up Press, Swept Away TV/The Rock Star Stories and TeenInk.

Teen Read Week is a national literacy initiative aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults. The purpose of the event is to increase the number of teens who are regular readers and library users. It began in 1998 and is celebrated the third week in October. For more information, contact the YALSA office by e-mail at yalsa@ala.org, or by phone at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos and audio books for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail,yalsa@ala.org.